A British grandma is overcome by guilt after she reportedly scrambled to save the family dogs from her burning house but forgot her grandson was also sleeping inside.

When 45-year-old Mandy Hands and son Ashley, 16, woke early Monday morning to find her Coventry terrace home ablaze, they rounded up their four greyhounds before fleeing the premises, the Coventry Telegraph reports.

Eleven-year-old Curtis was left sleeping in the spare room.

Mrs Hands' eldest daughter Kerry, 28, was visiting her family with Curtis at the time when the fire started.

It was only when Ms Hands was safe outside that she apparently realised her terrible oversight.

"I can't get over the fact I left my grandson in bed," she said.

"He's visiting from Portsmouth and I was panicking so much trying to get everyone out that I forgot he was here. I never even checked on him.

"It was only when we were outside and someone said, 'Is there anyone else in there?' that I remembered him, but no one could get back in."

Lucky for the sleeping Curtis, firefighters managed drag him through the bedroom window and down a ladder to safety.

The family were all taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation but have supposedly made a full recovery.

The fire is believed to have been sparked by a faulty plastic toaster which Ms Hands' husband used to make breakfast that morning.